Starbucks ruined my life.

I always have to find the perfect place to sit, in restaurants and coffee shops. Enough in my "own world" where I can just think, and feel, and be in my own head for a while, and also have a good view of every one in ear shot. Right now I'm sitting in the corner of a Caribou Coffee in Prior Lake. On the internet, obviously.

Initially, I set up my day to be had in a Starbucks. From the beginning, I knew that I was settling, but I'm in the heart of suburbia, which means I'm gonna feel sick no matter where I sit down. Anyway, the service sucked, my chai tasted like watered down milk someone threw 1/2 an already steeped tea bag in, my banana nut bread was dry and hard, and when I wanted to use the internet, after I had spent a good $6.00 on not-the-best-product-I've-ever-had I asked them what the password was, and they said "you can purchase a 'STARBUCKS CARD' for a minimum of $5.00 for 2 hours of internet" okay, people. Thats $11.00 for 2 hours of internet. I know that Starbucks is trying to milk the whole "coffee scene" for all its worth, but I'm pretty sure they've ruined it. They've created a 'drive through mentality' for the ONE remotely affordable dining/chillin experience our country has left. I know its more than Starbucks. It is our culture. But our culture SUCKS! At least in this regard. We are ALWAYS in a hurry. We are busy busy busy, and why? Think about it, we are like the richest people on the planet, and yet, we still feel poor, because all of the money that we make goes straight to "living" right? If we, as a country, spent less money on coffee drive through, and put more of that money into our savings accounts that, in the end, went towards other things, like, say, feeding people, I think we'd stress ourselves out less. Plus, the whole point of a coffee shop, to me, is to build community while enjoying...you know, coffee - and art, and music! Which this particular Starbucks had none of, by the way.

Basically, I'm just offended that they (the man) keeps trying to take take take. And I am confused as to why I am still give give giving.

So I asked the barista's where the nearest Caribou was. They told me. I left. And now I'm here.

It is STILL the man, for sure.

But haven't purchased anything yet, they are playing some jazz, and I can use the internet for as many hours as I want without spending $11.00.

Pffft.